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Official Website

Nearby Subway Stops

6 at 23rd St.; N, R at 23rd St.

Special Features

Lunch

Take-Out

Alcohol

No Alcohol

Reservations

Not Accepted

Profile

This venue is closed.

Bonobos, the peace-loving, sex-crazed chimps, subsist on a diet of raw fruit, leaves, and seeds. Fittingly, Bonobo’s Vegetarian serves uncooked, organic primate food. The Nut Patty Platter is typical: On a bed of lettuce are chopped vegetables and a disc of nut and seed “paté”—the raw version of a meatless burger—dressed with a fiery Diablo sauce or garlic dressing. On the menu are tossed salads, which come with a choice of vegetable and seed toppings, as well as prepared salads like marinated kale or cauliflower with pine nuts. Cold soups (gazpacho, avocado cilantro) are refreshing, and drinks are unusual: agave lime-aid and blended durian, coconut meat, and coconut water. But you’ll have to get by without added sugar, table salt, gluten, dairy, or animal products. It’s hard to get fat on this food; not surprisingly, most customers in the sky-lit, minimalist space share a yogi’s wiry physique. Ordering can be frustrating because dishes have so many permutations and options—and items tend to run out early. Sometimes the best thing to do is to ask for a plate of whatever is available—it all looks somewhat similar, and it’s all good for you. — Stephen Weiss